This is a wonderful audio narration of three Stevenson tales: "Markheim", "A Lodging for the Night" and "The Body Snatcher" along with a circa 1900 biographical essay by long-time friend Edmund Gosse. The narrations are multi-cast (although Griffin multi-voices where possible, they are clearly different sounding people) with some background noises and music. The narrator is a professional actor who breathes life into the story without falling into a formula - a lot of artistic thought was used to combine the pacing, music and sounds, top notch quality that greatly enhances the original work.

"A Lodging for the Night" is Stevenson's first published fiction when he was 27 years old. It is my favorite of the three for its atmosphere, and ruminations on Chivalry by a young Stevenson. "Markheim" opens the door on the thoughts of a murderer before and after he comits the act, ultimately finding redemption. It's a complex piece (perhaps a little too so) that takes two or three listens. "The Body Snatcher" is great Gothic horror in the creepy way that an innocent person commits a murder in the name of science (but ending a bit weak). It would be later re-worked into a classic 1940s film. The short biographical essay by Edmund Gosse (from the Encyclopedia Britannica 1911 edition) is sympathetic and interesting - Stevenson died young, many of his peers lived well into the 1930s.

This recording is about 3 hours long and is also on Audible for download for considerably less. ( )